Better Regulation in Europe: Ireland

The EU 15 Better Regulation project is a partnership between the OECD and the European Commission. It draws on the initiatives for Better Regulation promoted by both organisations over the last few years.

The OECD report, including recommendations on Better Regulation in Ireland is available by clicking on each chapter heading below.

The Executive summary (pdf format) contains the OECD assessment and recommendations.

Conclusions

• Review the way in which the Better Regulation is presented within the administration, drawing out more clearly the potential links with the agenda for post crisis recovery.
• Review the scope and balance of the current Better Regulation initiatives. Prioritise the work over time.
• Review and update the communications strategy, if necessary with specialist help. Consider an annual report for the Better Regulation Unit of the Department of the Taoiseach.
• Devise a follow through strategy to evaluations. Set targets for further improvements, publicise these and publicise achievements against targets.
• Continue to give e-Government greater visibility, a firm strategy and strong champions, as well as closer links with the Better Regulation strategy.

• Consider whether to increase the powers of the Better Regulation Unit. Consider whether to evolve towards a larger shared unit, based on secondments from other key players as well as selected line ministries, and perhaps on the basis of a special status within the Department of the Taoiseach.
• Consider identifying a Better Regulation “champion” in each Department. Consider secondments from departments to the Better Regulation Unit. Sustain the networks that have been set up. Link Better Regulation performance to budgets and performance assessments.
• Pursue the efforts in rationalisation of government agencies.
• Consider how to further encourage parliament into taking an interest in Better Regulation. This could be done by sending it relevant reports on progress as well as evaluations.
• Consider using the legal decisions of the judiciary to learn about regulatory  issues that may need attention.

• Share best practices for public consultation across departments (and agencies). Consider how to give the consultation guidelines some teeth so that they are observed and so that consultation is applied to the same consistent high standards.
• Sustain the efforts at improving the accessibility of regulations and if necessary, increase funding. Communicate more clearly and broadly the value of these initiatives, as part of an enhanced general communications strategy for Better Regulation.

• Take steps to monitor regulatory production systematically (both primary and secondary regulations), identifying amendments to existing regulations as well as entirely new regulations.
• Consider whether to set up a system for the forward planning of upcoming secondary regulations, and to publicise this. Consider whether there is a need to bolster the process for assuring the legal quality of secondary regulations.
• Check Irish arrangements against those of relevant EU countries to see what might be done to strengthen the RIA requirements so as to strengthen their quality.
• Consider how to further boost methodological support and buy in from departments for a quantitative approach.
• Consider how to ensure that significant secondary regulations are picked up by the RIA process, linking this to the issue of amendments that undermine the clarity of the law.
• Ensure that the RIA process continues to be evaluated by an objective external entity or entities at regular intervals, taking account of resources for this.

• Reaffirm publicly that legal simplification work is a priority. Review resources for it, and increase as necessary, with a firm commitment to sustaining these for a reasonable time period such as five years.
• Establish a communications strategy in support of the simplification work.
• Take further measures to strengthen the practical approach to administrative simplification, including delegated net targets. Establish a stronger link with the RIA process.
• Monitor the performance of key institutional structures for delivery of the burden reduction programme.
• Clarify and monitor the requirements on departments with regard to consultation with stakeholders.
• Commission a new survey of business views, and especially, of what matters to very small firms in terms of burdens. In the light of this, consider whether there is a need to adapt the strategy for administrative simplification.

How to obtain this publication

Go to

More information

www.oecd.org/gov/regref/eu15